Thirty people died from the flu last week in North Carolina - about three times more than died the previous week.
"And those numbers are going to continue to rise. Because we always see those numbers lag behind our flu activity numbers by a few weeks," said Dr. Zack Moore, an epidemiologist with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Moore says people should use basic prevention methods like staying home from work when sick and staying away from people who are ill. He points out that vaccination is still an option.
"It's particularly important for people to remember that there are anti-viral medicines that can treat the flu; not everyone who has flu needs to be treated with an anti-viral. But people who are at high risk should contact their physician, their health care provider," Moore said.
There have been 54 flu-associated deaths in the state since the beginning of October.
